About To Walk Away From This One

J-Peffer

I’m about to walk away from my first job ever. Even as a kid, I’ve never quit a job on bad terms, I’ve never been fired, Laid off and I’ve never called in a single day in my entire life. I’m a honest hard working man, I love the work I do. I operate my company with excitement, because it excites me to this day.

I’ve been out on my own now for 4 years. I’ve honestly, never left a customer unhappy. Home builders, commercial businesses and residential home owners, they all enjoyed the work I did, and praised me for the promptness of the work. Sure, I’ve had problems, I’ve had call backs, but I’ve always resolved those within an hour of getting the phone call.

I’m doing a 42 sq job for a home builder and this is the first time I’ve ran into this. He is not only super picky, he is super picky about doing things wrong or things that are not required. When I do a roof, I’m happy to do a roof the way a home builder wants….but I am not a mind reader.

The boots he picked out for the vent pipes say “No Caulk” right now them. I install them normally with no caulk or tar anyway. After the back side is done, he ask me “You caulked those down right?”.
When he ordered the shingles, he did not order enough. He was 12 sq short, so I ordered the rest of them out of convince for him. I scheduled the delivery faster as I have more pull with the supplier than him. It’s a 50 year weather wood certainteed shingle. We unloaded the 48 bundles and realized they sent us the “Max Definition” Weathewoods which have a slight color difference. I take care of everything, even though it was not me who placed the special order, was the suppliers fault (He chose the shingle and supplier as well). I make them drive 2 hours to get the right shingles, then I unload all those shingles with 1 other guy, and have them deliver the rest.
He had drywall delivered that day, so I then shingled for him for an hour after dark using halogen lights to make sure the drywall would stay dry.
The next morning, he never said thanks for anything. Not for taking care of the suppliers mess up, not for shingling way latter than I wanted too (He left the job site at 3pm). I kept everything on track despite other peoples mistakes. He simply said the next day, “Boy I hope you did not damage any shingles walking on them that much carrying shingles”.

There are 3-4 other situations exactly like this. The job is taking way too long, I’m losing money because I’m putting him first. I’m booked though August and I’m now a week behind with this guy.

I know it’s bad business to walk away. I really just want to finish the roof, and tell him to find a new roofer, but again, I know that is bad business too and I should not let my emotions get the best of me. I don’t like to fight, but I’d let him kick me in the balls if I could punch him just one time.

I know this is long, and I'd be happy to point out the mistakes he is making us do on this project further down!

genecarp

suck it up, finish the job, keep your cool, dont work for him again, you could also send him a bill for extras,

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J-Peffer

Gah, it feels better to get that you. That's what I'll do. I don't think I'll tell him even that I can't do another roof for him. I just can't treat him special because he think's he's the most important person in the world.

This guy honestly probably goes to the doctors if he craps and it smells anything less than scented candle.

neolitic

Just feel lucky if he's the worst you ever get!

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2ndGen

Ditto...get through it, chalk it up to a learning experience.

There are times to walk away, but this isn't one of them.

You'll be losing out on the lessons you can learn.

Everytime he asks you to do something unorthodox,
request it in writing with your disagreement clearly noted.

This will protect you liability-wise.

The first time he refuses, you have your excuse to legally walk away and sue the homeowner for whatever is owed to you.

Or, you can just eat the loss (which sometimes is better).

Best of luck.

__________________
"I've been up on the roof. I know what those guys go through.
My whole life has been about making that profession respectable."
Ken Hendricks
www.SolutionsRoofing.com

MJW

Nope, I wouldn't let anyone treat me that way. Respect should go both ways. I still say finish the job, even though it won't teach him anything. Send a bill, and never do his work again. Also, SPREAD THE WORD about it.

Had one who was picky, then wanted a lower price, kicked him to the curb. The guy only built a few houses a year and thought he was god. Now, I bet he lives in a cardboard box. No room in the trades for people like that. I don't mind doing a very good job for good money, but some are just a-holes.

Around here, Roofers were losers for a long time. You were nobody unless you built homes. Now look.....all them supposed home builders are trying to bid storm work because they have no work. Who's the nobody now? Like I said, respect should go both ways.

dougger222

A few years ago my father had the same problem with the "no caulk" plumbing vents. My father being a roofer for over 30 years at the time didn't know as much as the builder who built homes for 20 years.

When the smoke cleared my father handed over the account to his brother. In the 10 years that fallowed until the builder left the business my Uncle made several hundred thousand dollars doing his roofs.

Sad truth is my Dads quality was 5 times better than my Uncles.

It just should have it my Dad works for me full time and my Uncles calls weekly for roofs.

One of my builders used to have my Dad do his roofs then my Uncle and I have been doing them since 02. He's rather cheap but will pay for quality when he has to. He's been building houses since 78. Now he's going to try doing storm work... It should be easy for him though as he does know quality. Looked at a a few hundred squares of roof with him today. Won't mention the city because there are no storm chasers there yet.

dougger222

I think there is a lot more money to be made doing insurance roofs than building houses right now.

Builders made bank in the 90's and now they are going to the bank asking for money. Doing new roofs right now is a joke. You have to compete with real Mexican prices.

J-Peffer

I'll do alright off the job pay wise, even though it's the first roof I'm doing for him and I gave him a good price to "prove" that we could take care of this roof for him.

The things I did not like was he wanted no underlayment at the eaves of the roof, no ice and water gaurd or even felt, because he felt it could cause the drip edge to wrinkle in the hotter weather..... I don't suppose the nails holding it could stop it from the expansion and contraction though.

He wanted us to run ridge vent and has sofit intake. Great setup. Until you put the power ventalilator on a foot below the ridge vent, turning the ridge into intake instead of exaust.

Other random things, he has concerns about using a shingle shear to cut shingles. He won't let us use a hook blade. Shingles are cut upside down on plywood with a strait blade and carpenders square.

He did not like the way I joined drip edge, so he had one of his guys show me how he likes it....which was exactly the way I was joining them. I ran a yellow mason line down the drip edge to show his guy, and we both found it accuratly strait to 1/16".

We redid the drip edge.

tinner666

Yeah, I'd finish this one and when he calls again, tell him to do it himself.

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Frank Slate Roof Repairs, Richmond, Va.

JonM

Are you done pizzing and moaning?....Feel better?....Now get back to work....


You are in the wrong business if you think he is the only azzhat you will have to deal with over your career.

rc-construction

Hit him with an inefficiency change order. When I have done that one of two things have usually happened. 1. they back off and shut up. 2. They pay it.

MALCO.New.York

The customer is NOT the problem. Your ability to control the job IS.

It started out wrong and therefore is still a PITA.

Lesson learned. Do not repeat your mistake in the future.

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